You have reached a collection of archived material. The content available is no longer being updated and may no longer be applicable.

74th Commemoration of D-Day

On June 6, 1944, nearly 160,000 Allied troops landed along a heavily fortified, 50-mile stretch of French coastline in the historic operation known as D-Day. Allied casualties were heavy - an estimated 10,000 killed, wounded and missing in action - but by day's end, the Allies had gained a foothold to begin liberating Europe.

Stories

Photos

Thunderbolt Flight - Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft fly over the beaches of Normandy, France, June 3, 2018, as part of the commemoration ceremonies for the 74th anniversary of D-Day. The aircraft are assigned to the 107th Fighter Squadron, Michigan Air National Guard. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Dan Heaton

Aircraft fly over Normandy, France commemorating the first mission for the 107th Fighter Squadron in France since World War II.

Return of the 107th - A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft assigned to the 107th Fighter Squadron, Michigan Air National Guard fly with a C-130 Hercules over Normandy, France, June 3, 2018. The flight during the D-Day commemoration represented the first assigned mission for the 107th in France since World War II. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Dan Heaton

Service members and a veteran salute at a memorial.

Taps Honors - D-Day veteran John Roman, center, and Army Maj. Gen. Mark W. Palzer, commander of the 79th Theater Sustainment Command, center left, salute for the playing of French and U.S. taps during the Utah Beach Federal Monument Ceremony in Sainte-Marie-Du-Mont, France, June 6, 2018. DoD photo by Navy Chief Petty Officer Michael McNabb

Paratroopers drop from a C-130 Hercules aircraft during commemoration ceremonies for the 74th anniversary of D-Day.

Paratrooper Descent - Paratroopers jump from a C-130 Hercules aircraft during commemoration ceremonies for the 74th anniversary of D-Day in Normandy, France, June 3, 2018. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Dan Heaton

Color Guard Honors - The 75th Ranger Regiment Color Guard posts the colors during a Pointe du Hoc Ranger Monument commemoration ceremony in Cricqueville-en-Bessin, France, June 5, 2018. DoD photo by Navy Chief Petty Officer Michael McNabb

A young boy dressed in a fedora waves an American flag as paratroopers descend in a blue sky.

Normandy Spectator - A soldier's son waves an American flag as paratroopers descend over Sainte-Mere-Eglise, France, for a commemorative D-Day jump, June 3, 2018. Army photo by Lt. Col. John Hall

D-Day Veterans - U.S. Army Europe soldiers, World War II veterans, local leaders and residents gather at the General Eisenhower Monument in Tournieres, France, June 2, 2018, for a wreath-laying ceremony to pay homage to the memory of the Americans who gave the ultimate sacrifice for liberation of the people in France’s Normandy region. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Tamika Dillard

A soldier smiles as a veteran signs her cap.

Vet's Autograph - Army Sgt. Shirly Ortiz-Gomez, left, smiles as British army veteran Royston O’Neill signs her patrol cap in Tournieres, France, June 2, 2018. O’Neill served as a signalman with the Royal Corps of Signals during World War II. Army photo by Tony Sweeney

A veteran is honored during the 74th D-Day ceremony.

Honored Attendee - Army Air Corps veteran Denny Thompson attends the 74th D-Day commemoration ceremony at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer, France, June 1, 2018. Thompson, a B-29 bomber pilot and recipient of two Distinguished Flying Crosses and two Purple Heart medals during World War II, was honored during the event. Army photo by Lt. Col. John Hall

Family members walk with a World War II veteran, who wears his uniform and sits in a wheelchair, on an outdoor path.

Paratrooper's Return - Family and friends walk with World War II veteran Raymond Wallace on the path between the Normandy American Cemetery and Omaha Beach in France, June 1, 2018. Wallace returned to Normandy for the first time since he parachuted in with the 82nd Airborne Division 74 years ago. Army photo by Lt. Col. John Hall

A soldier sits inside an aircraft with fellow troops and holds a parachute.

Before the Jump - A U.S. soldier prepares to participate in a jump with 500 fellow U.S., French, Dutch, Romanian and German paratroopers near Sainte-Mere-Eglise, France, June 3, 2018, to honor D-Day veterans and mark the 74th anniversary of the invasion of Normandy. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Robert Baldock

A World War II veteran smiles for a selfie with a group of schoolgirls.

Normandy Selfie - World War II Army veteran Robert DeVinney poses for a selfie with French students at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer, France, June 1, 2018. DeVinney was assigned to Hotel Company, 3rd Battalion, 504th Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Alexander C. Henninger

Four veterans sit in a row in wheelchairs at a memorial.

Normandy Memories - Four World War II veterans listen to the playing of taps during a ceremony at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer, France, June 1, 2018. Army photo by Pfc. Josselyn Fuentes

A World War II veteran wearing medals on his blazer shakes hands with someone with sitting at an outdoor ceremony.

Hero's Handshake - Retired Army Master Sgt. Charles Norman Shay, who landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day, attends a ceremony at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in France, May 27, 2018. Shay is one of the few surviving American Indian World War II combat veterans. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Russell R. Rhodes Jr.

A soldier stands on a rocky promontory and looks out over a body of water below a low-lit, sun-streaked sky.

Pointe du Hoc - A paratrooper assigned to the 173rd Airborne Brigade looks out on the English Channel in Normandy, France, May 30, 2018, from Pointe du Hoc, a strategic position that U.S. Army Rangers assaulted on D-Day. Soldiers assigned to the brigade are in Normandy to participate in a commemorative airborne operation. Army photo by Lt. Col. John Hall

A soldier touches and looks down on a cross-shaped gravestone in a cemetery of identical stones.

Graveside Moment - Army Staff Sgt. Mavis Bradford, an 82nd Airborne Division choir member, spends a moment at a paratrooper’s grave at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer, France, May 31, 2018. Bradford and dozens of other paratroopers assigned to the division are participating in D-Day commemoration activities. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Daniel Wallace

A reflecting pool shows the image of a memorial structure standing behind it.

Walls of the Missing - Visitors view the Walls of the Missing at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer, France, May 28, 2018. The walls include more than 1,500 names of U.S. service members who lost their lives in the invasion of Normandy and associated operations. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Daniel Wallace

D-Day Landing - Soldiers crowd a landing craft on the way to Normandy during the Allied invasion, June 6, 1944. Army photo

Convoy Approach - A convoy of landing craft nears the beach at Normandy, France, June 6, 1944.

Waiting for Evacuation - Soldiers of the 16th Infantry Regiment, wounded while storming Omaha Beach, wait by the chalk cliffs for evacuation to a field hospital for treatment on D-Day, June 6, 1944. Army photo

Eisenhower’s D-Day Message

"Soldiers, sailors and airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force! You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you."

Army Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, Allied supreme commander in Europe, Order of the Day, June 6, 1944

D-Day by the Numbers

Videos

Task Force Marks 74th D-Day Anniversary in Normandy

U.S. service members from 20 units in Europe and the United States are participating in events in almost 40 locations throughout the Normandy region of France as part of Joint Task Force Normandy 74.

Service Members, Veterans, Normandy Communities Remember D-Day

U.S. and European service members, veterans, military family members and members of the the community mark the 74th anniversary of D-Day at ceremonies in Normandy, France.

Pointe du Hoc Rangers Lead the Way

Army Col. Brandon Tegtmeier, commander of the 75th Ranger Regiment, speaks during the Pointe du Hoc Ranger Monument commemoration ceremony in Cricqueville-en-Bessin, France, June 5, 2018.

Paratroopers conduct training at an outdoor facility.

Getting Ready to Jump

Paratroopers from five countries train together for a jump in Normandy, France, June 2, 2018, to mark the 74th anniversary of D-Day.

Tony Alger traced the footsteps of his father, who fought in WWII, Through Normandy. This year marks the 74th anniversary of Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944 - most commonly known as D-Day.

Tracing Footsteps

Tony Alger traced his father's footsteps through Normandy and learned about his fighting in World War II.

Road to Remembrance

Jean-Pierre Paviot, a tour guide who leads D-Day historical tours in France, explains the importance of D-Day and what the sacrifices of American forces means to him.

Soldiers visit an old stone church in France and discuss the experience.

Revisiting a Site of Refuge

The men who stormed the beaches of Normandy took refuge in a church, leaving a lasting impression on the town of Angoville-au-Plain, France. U.S. soldiers recently visited the church and described the experience.

Normandy Family Dinner

Soldiers assigned to the 82nd Airborne gathered in Normandy, France, May 30, 2018, for a dinner with residents of the area to mark the 74th anniversary of D-Day.

Soldiers attend an outdoor memorial ceremony.

Sainte-Mere-Eglise Airborne Ceremony

As the nation marks the 74th anniversary of the Allied invasion of Normandy, the Army provides footage from a ceremony at Sainte-Mere-Eglise, the first French town liberated by Allied forces on D-Day.

U.S. Army Europe commemorates the 74th anniversary of the heroism and sacrifices of the U.S. and Allied troops that stormed the beaches of Normandy, France, during World War II.

U.S. Army Europe Commemorates D-Day Anniversary

U.S. Army Europe commemorates the 74th anniversary of the heroism and sacrifices of the U.S. and Allied troops who stormed the beaches of Normandy, France, during World War II.